Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on increasing the living alone allowance for older people in line with the increased cost of food and fuel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27984/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and receiving payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes.

The policy in relation to support for older people has been, for many years, to give priority to increasing the personal rates of pension in addition to enhancing the Household Benefits Package which includes TV Licence, Telephone, Electricity/Gas and the Fuel Allowance rather than supplements like the living alone increase. The objective is to use resources to improve the position of all pensioners to the fullest extent possible rather than focusing on particular groups. Under this policy, the rate of contributory pension has increased from €147.30 per week in 2002 to €223.00 per week in 2008 and the non-contributory pension has increased from €134.00 per week to €212.00 per week.